As the wedding season approaches, it’s time to steer the focus away from the girls and point the spotlight on new-age grooms! Believe it or not, but a sizeable number of Indian men are stepping up their grooming game, so much so, that their meticulous approach can give the bridezillas a run for their money! From hair transplants to tailor-made wedding wardrobes, the contemporary desi groom is unabashed about going the extra mile — to make a subtle yet striking appearance on his big day. And if that means upstaging the bride, so be it. City-based experts give us their insights on the exciting trend...
“It’s all about looking fresh and natural this wedding season. The younger lot of metropolitan men are quite particular about their wedding planning. In fact, we get skincare treatment inquiries at least three months in advance.
A file photograph from Manoviraj Khosla’s wedding collection
The celebrity photofacial is the most sought after treatment, along with vampire face-lifts. Men are also going in for cool sculpting for spot reduction of fat, with a touch of filler – so that their best features are enhanced, to get perfect pictures from any angle on their D-day!" shares Chytra V Anand, a renowned Bengaluru-based cosmetic dermatologist.
And that's not all. By the looks of it, the emphasis is on from top to toe – not just a mere touch-up. In addition to going in for exotic facial treatments and lifts, men are also going the extra mile to make sure not a strand is out of place.
"From hair transplants to peels and snake venom facials, they are doing it all. Laser hair removal in the upper cheeks is also a favourite treatment that men seek, off late," adds Shuba Dharmana, another noted cosmetic dermatologist in town.
Especially, with men game for shelling out big bucks to put their best face (and foot) forward, can they be lagging behind in their sartorial game? Clearly not.
"Men love things customised and it's clearly the flavour of the season. Innovation is the key. For instance, bandhis with a lot of varied textures, digital prints and the like are in. The same goes with sherwanis. It's all about picking something that's not easily found on the rack. We can see more of laser-cut patterns, with requests for changes in the lining underneath – more of velvet on velvet, velvet on linen and similar combinations. We're also seeing a demand for embroidered shoes this wedding season. Basically put, nobody wants to be stuck in an outfit rut. Men certainly are more open to being experimental," opines city based designer Manoviraj Khosla
Interestingly, the trend has noted a rise in the demand for the expertly touch of stylists. Sujata Chandrappa, a city-based grooming expert and cosmetic dermatologist, highlights in conclusion that, "There's a current obsession for well-defined beard line and forehead hair line. The new age groom in the country is open to making heads turn, by treading off the beaten path when it comes to making choices for his D-day. This is a change from the usual, and probably signals the changing times. Either way, it's a great change as it finally feels like putting that extra effort to turn out prim and proper is a joint effort.”
